Network of dementia cafes for Sandwell

A £50,000 network of dementia cafés has opened in Sandwell to help the thousands of people in the borough affected by the condition.

Sandwell Council has worked with Accord Housing Association and other local organisations to launch cafés in the six towns.

More than 3,200 people in the borough are living with dementia, over one per cent of the population, and this figure is expected to continue to rise.

The cafés will give people with dementia and their carers somewhere to go for information, support and advice, and the chance to meet other people.

The two hour drop in cafés are hosted monthly at various venues, at different times, and attended by a coordinator.

Other organisations involved in the scheme are Sandwell Mind, Options for Life, the West Bromwich African Caribbean Resource Centre and BUDS.

For more information or to register interest in attending, telephone Nicole Beeching on 0300 111 7000 or 07818 840982, or email nicoleb@accordha.org.uk

Timely response from first point of contact

Dudley’s Access to Adult Social Care Team has made a marked difference to the way people are given advice, care and support in the area, since it set up less than a year ago. 

Since its launch in June 2010, as a first point of contact, the team has dealt with 600 to 700 enquiries a week, with half of these resolved by providing advice, or referral to an appropriate person.

Responses are consistently prompt, and people needing emergency support have received it the same day.

Information about the team has been circulated to professionals in other agencies, who refer members of public to the team. 

The approach has helped the council to respond to Dudley’s residents in an appropriate and timely way.  Options are being explored to enhance the team’s activities. 

Contact: Steve Jones, TSC team, Email: steve.jones@dudley.gov.uk .

Regional roll out for Dudley care course

Dudley Council’s online course designed to raise awareness of carers’ rights and the services available to them, is being rolled out across the West Midlands.

Funded by DH, the Carer Aware course is aimed at carers, employers and other organisations.

It has been hailed as a great success and is used as a blueprint by at least 35 authorities, nationwide.

The course can be completed by carers or a team of employees. When a number of staff within an organisation complete it, they will be accredited as ‘carer aware’, and be given a sticker to display in their building, so carers will know staff are trained to point them in the right direction for accurate information that will help them in their caring role.

It can be accessed through www.dudley.gov.uk/careraware .

Organisations keen to become carer aware accredited should call Christine Rowley, carers’ co-ordinator on 01384 818723 or email christine.rowley@dudley.gov.uk .

Fast track to integration

NHS West Midlands and ADASS West Midlands are jointly commissioning a fast track development programme for workers in community health, adult social care, children’s service and GP commissioning.

The programme will equip GPs and staff who carry out commissioning or redesign services, with the relevant skills. It also aims to forge close collaborative links between health and social care, necessary for integrated commissioning.

Central to the programme will be developing skills to aid planning and implementation of a QIPP business case. Priorities include:

• rehabilitation and reablement
• preventive services designed to reduce further demand
• redesign of services to help prevent hospital admissions
• transition issues for children with disabilities
• learning disabilities and mental health residential placements. 

Training is intended to cater for multi-disciplinary teams of staff who need to work
collaboratively and make commissioning of integrated care happen. 

Contact: Patricia Barnett, Programme Consultant, Primary Care and PBC, NHS West Midlands, email:  patricia.barnett@westmidlands.nhs.uk;                                                  

Building good places to grow old

Free support is available to local authorities as part of the ageing well programme run by Local Government Improvement and Development (LGID).

Its aim is to help councils prepare for an ageing population and make their area a good place to grow older.

In 2008 there were more people aged over 65 than younger people; one in four people born today will live to 100, and 1.7million more people will need care in twenty years.

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, councils participating in the programme will benefit from a diagnosis of needs and the local authorities’ ability to meet them, as well as peer reviews, leadership and officer development, and sharing of good practice.

Contact: Virginia Saynor, Improvement Manager, Ageing Well Programme, West Midlands & North West, Mobile: 0781 0828 432; email: Virginia.saynor@local.gov.uk

Boosting productivity and quality in the NHS

The Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme, is designed to support clinicians and NHS organisations improve the quality of care and make efficiency savings.

There are 12 workstreams covering commissioning of care, efficiency, and mechanisms for services to run effectively. 

Workstreams have been identified to ensure the likelihood of improved quality and increase productivity.

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From LINKS to Healthwatch

Government’s HealthWatch Transition Plan is now available, setting out proposals for patients, service users and carers to have a greater say in health and social care.

The plan forms part of government’s wider NHS and care reforms, and builds on current patient involvement arrangements - Local Involvement Networks (LINKs).

New HealthWatch organisations, replacing LINKs, will be set up by 2012, and provide a single point of contact for people seeking information about services. They will also act as consumer champions.

Local authorities will have responsibility for ensuring there is a robust and effective HealthWatch in their area.  

The transition plan sets out what the arrangements should look like when they are working well, and outlines measures to be put in place to support the transition.

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